Combined air purifier or humidifier and radiator vent valve



April 12 1927.

A. BAUER COMBINED AIR PURIFIER OR HUMIDIFIERv AND RADIATOR VENT VALVE Filed Macn 20', 1924 sheets-sheet 1 Afro/Mfrs'.

Patented Apr.. l2, 1927.

UNi'riezDy STATES 1 1,624,174 `Mfr-ENT OFFICE.

ADOLPH BAUER, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO RICHARD C. JENKINSON, DOING BUSINESS AS R. C. J ENKIN SON & CO., OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

coMBINED AIR PURIFIER on HUMIDIFIER AND :aAiirAcron Vani` VALVE.

Application 1aed March 2o, 1924. serial No. 700,497.

This invention relates in general to fair purifiers and"liumidifiers and more particularly to such a device in which a purifying or pertaining Yliqu'id'is vaporized by contact with a circulating fluid such as steam or air.

The primary objectof the invention is to provide a novel 'and improved combined radiator vent valve and air purier and humidifier which ensures quick and thorough venting ofthe air from a radiator, as vis intended to be but not usually produced by the known radiator vent valves, to prevent the radiator from becoming air-bound and produce eflicient heatingof the radiator,

and at the same time utilize the vented air and steam to vaporize a purifying liquid to purify, disinfect and humidity the air of a room.

Another object is to provide such a device including al novel and improved lconstruction of casing for housing both an automatic radiator vent valve and anair purifier or humidifier, and means for varying the suply of steam or air to the air purifier and iiumidifier without in any manner affecting the automatic operation of the vent Valve.

Other objects are to provide a casing comprisingtwo` chambers having a common 1nlet for steam, one of .which contains a vent valve and the other of which contains absorbent material to receive a purifying or perfuming liquid to be vaporized by steam or air, and meansin said casing for controlling the supply of steam or air to. said last-inentioned chamber independent of' the fiow of steam or air to said vent valve chamber; to provide a casing comprising a base and two concentric chambers one of which surrounds the other, Said base having a common steam inlet for one end of each of said chambers, the, other end of the innermost of said chambers having a valved outlet controlled by an automatic valve means, and the corresponding end of the other chamber being open to the atmosphere; to provide an air purifier or humidifier embodying novel and improved features of construction; to provide an air purifier or humidifier having an inlet for steam, an outlet for said steam, an agitating fan mounted in said outlet, and means for directing a jet of steam to said a itatingffan to drive the same for agitating t e steam fiowing from said outlet; to provide a combined radiator vent valve and air purifier or humidifier, an agitator fan and novel and improved means for mounting said fan with respect to the outlet of said air purifier or humidifier and said valve, and means for directing a jet of steam to said fan for driving the same, and to obtain other results and advantages as may be brought out b the following description. Referring to t e accompanying drawings, in which the same characters of reference indicate corresponding and like parts,

Figure l is a transverse sectional View.

Figure 7 is a horizontal section taken on the line 74-7 of Fig. 6.

In the specific embodiment of the invention shown on the drawings, the reference character 1 designates the base of the casing of the device which is formed with a recess 2 in its top side. An exteriorly threaded nipple 3 projects laterally from the base to fit into the usual opening 4 of a radiator R, the passage of saidnipple communicating with said recess 2. A tubular casing 5 has` a threaded connection With the base l within the open end )of the recess 2, said casing communicating at oneend with the recess 2' and being closed at its other end except for a vent opening 6 with which cooperates a needle valve rod 7 carried by a piston float 8. The said piston fioat is mounted Within the casing and maintained in alineinent with the vent opening V(3 by means of spiders 9 and 10 secured within the casing 5 adjacent the ends thereof' and through openings in which the needle valve rod 7 is adapted to slide. The piston float 8 is so` constructed that it will be actuated upwardly by a predetermined pressure of air or steam in the radiator to which the device is applied to close the vent opening 6, the oat being also adapted to be raised to close the vent open ing 6 by an influx of water to the casing.

A second tubular casing 11 has a threaded connection at one end with the base 1 eX- teriorly thereof, said easing being substantially coaxial with the casing 5 and surrounding the latter in spaced relation. A. plurality ot rings 12 formed of suitable absorbent material, such as asbestos, are arranged in superposed spaced relation in the casing 11, certain of said rings having their outer edges in contact with the walls of the casing 11 and their inner edges spaced from the Walls of the casing 5, While the otherl rings have their inner edges in contact with the walls of the casing 5 and their outer edges spaced from the walls of the casing 11. The said rings are preferably maintained in spaced relation by means ot' wire rings 13 which are corrugated or otherwise formed to provide passages between themselves and adjacent rings 12. A comparatively hard or non-absorbent ring 14 is interposed beu tween the casings 5 and 11 above the uppermost ring 12'l so as to close the space between the said casings 5 and 11. The said ring 14 is formed with a plurality ot transverse openings 15 between the center and the periphery thereof. The upper end oft' the i Casin 11 is preferably provided with a cover 16 W ich may be perforated or provided with Wire screen.

A passage V17 is provided in the wall of the base 1 and controlled by a suitable valve such as the screw needle valve 18 cooperating with a seat 19 in the passage 17.

second passage 20 is provided in the base 1 and communicates at 1ts upper end with the space between the casings 5 and 11 and at its lower end with thel valve seat 19. The valve 18 is provided with a. by-pass groove 21 whereby a limited communication between the recess 2 and the passage 20 is always provided. l

In the operation of the device, the casingl is secured to a radiator or the like by means of the nipple 3. Upon entrance of'steam into the radiator the air is ejected therefrom into the recess 2 of the combined valve and airv purifier and humidifier. The air ywill escape both from the vent opening 6 and through the by-pasz` 21 of the valve 18 and passage 20 into the spacebetween the casings 5 and 11. The air owing through the passage 2O will pass upwardly in a tortuous path between the rings openings 15 and perforated cover 1d into theair of the room. When steam enters the recess 2. the `valve 7 will be actuated to close the vent 6. However, steam will continue to ow through the by-pass 21 and passage 2O upwardly between the rings 12 and into the air ot the room, whereby the air is moistened or humidiied. The amount 12, through the of steam flowin through the passage 20 and the degree 0% humidity of the air of the room may be regulated by the valve 18. Due to the constant flow o t steam through the by-pass 21, it willbe observed that the radiator will be prevented from becoming airbound, thereby providingfor etlicient heating of the radiator, this venting of the steam and air through the by-pass 21 taking place even though the vent valve 7 should become inoperative or clogged. It will also be noted that the regulation of theamount of steam passing between the rings 12 is independent of the steam or air actuating` the vent valve.

The openings 15 divide the steam into a plurality of fine jets so that the same is thoroughly distributed into the atmosphere. Should water flow into the device it will be absorbed by the rings 12, and upon passage of steam and air through the chamber between the casings 5 and 11 this water will be evaporated and carried intothe atmosphere.

Where it is desired to purify, disinfect, medicate 'or perfume the air of a room, the rings 12 areisaturated with a purifying, medicating or perfuming liquid, such as oil ot eucalyptus. The air and steam passing through the passages 17 and 2O will vaporize the said liquid in the rings 12 and carry the same into the atmosphere.

In some cases, for instance where the device is placed on the radiator near the floor,

it may be desirable to provide means for mixing the vapors and to thoroughly distribute the same into the air ot the room. For this purpose,-I may form the upper end ot the casing 5 with a boss 22 and journal an agitating or mixing fan 23 ot any suitable constructon thereon, as shown by- Figures G and 7, the blades of said fan being inclined to the plane ot' its rotation. The steam or air ejected from the openings 15 beneath the fan 23 will strike the blades and rotate the fan in the usual manner to produce a circulation of the air and raise the vapors upwardly and thoroughly distribute the same. In this connection it will be noted that the chamber formed by the easings 5 and 11 and the ring 111 serves as a collector or storage chamber for the steam or air, the pressure in which is constantly supplemented by the incoming air or steam from the radiator. .The openings 15 divide this air or steam into small jets under a sufficient pressureto effectively drive the fan 23.

While I have'shown and described the casing of the device as embodyingcertain details of construction, it Ywill be understood that manyv changes and modications can be made in these details without departing from the spirit lor scope of the invention. Also. while I have shown the device for use in connection. with radiators ot steam heating systems, it will be understood that the device'. is equally well adapted for other uses' where a circulation ofa fluid such as air or steam is present. Therefore, I do not desire to be understoodV as limiting myself except as required by the following claims when construed in the light of the prior art.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A device of the character described, comprising a casing having two chambers communicating with a common fluid inlet and having independent outlets, a valve in one of said chambers which operates to automatically close itissaid outlet in response to a. predetermined fluid condition within said chamber, and an absorbentmaterial in the other of sai'd chambers between its said outlet and said inlet.

2. A device `of the character described, comprising a casing` having two chambers communicating with a common fiuid inlet and having'independent outlets, a valve in one of said chambers which operates to automatically close its said outlet in response to a predetermined fluid condition within said chamber, an absorbent material in the other of said chambers between its said outlet and said inlet, and means for regulating communication between said inlet and said second-mentionedl chamber.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a casing having two chambers one of which surrounds the other, said chambers communicating at one end with a common fluid in-let and having independent outlets at -their other ends, an automatic valve for controlling the outlet of one of said chambers, and an absorbent material in the other of said chambers between said inlet and the outlet of said last-mentioned chamber.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a casing including a base having a fluid inlet, two casings secured to said base one of which surroundsv the, other in spaced relation and each of which communicates at one end with said inlet, said casings having independent outlets, an automatic valve in the innermost of said casings to control the outlet thereof, an absorbent material within the outer one of said casings between said inlet and the outlet thereof, and valve means for regulating the communication between said inlet and said last-mentioned member. 5. A device of the character described, comprising a casing including a base having a recess 1n one side thereof and a Huid inlet communicating with said recess, a casing secured at one end to said base communicatiug with said recess and having an outlet, an automatic valve in said casing to control said outlet, a second casing secured to said base and having an outlet, a passage in said base between said krecess and said second-mentioned casing whereby fiuid may fiow from said recess into said second-mentioned casing, and an absorbent material in said second-mentioned chamber between said passage and said outlet thereof.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a casing including a base having a recess in one side thereof and a fluid inlet communicating with said recess, a casing secured at one end to said base communicating with said recess and having an outlet, an automatic valve in saidfcasing to control said outlet, a second casing secured to said base and having an outlet, a passage in said base between said recess and said secondta corrugated wire ring between each two adjacent ones of said mem-bers to maintain said members in spaced relation to each other. l

8. A device of the character described, comprising a casing including a base' having a fiuid inlet, two casings secured to said base one of whichsurrounds the other in spaced relation and each of which communicates at one end with said inlet, said casings having independent outlets, an automatic valve in the innermost of -said casings to control the outlet thereof, a plurality of spacedly superposed absorbent rings ,in the outer one of said casings between the inlet and the outlet thereof and surrounding said innermost casing, the inner peripheries of certain of said rings being incontact with the walls of the said inner casing and the outer peripheries being spaced lfrom the walls of the outer casing, and the others of said rings being alternately arranged with respect to said first-,mentioned rings and having their inner peripheries spaced from the walls o-f the vinner casing and their outer peripheries in contact with the Walls of the outei` casing to permit fluid to flowv from said .inlet in a tortuous path between said rings.

9. The device set forth in claim 1 with the addition of a mixing fan arranged adjacent the outlet of the second-mentioned chamber and driven by the fluid discharged therefrom. 10. The device set forth in claim 3 with the addition of a mixing fan journaled upon the outlet end of the inner of said chambers to be driven by fluid discharged from the outlet of the outer chamber.

.11. A device of the character described let, and a mixing fanjournaled upon said casing oli' center from and above said .out-

let, the blades of the fan being inclined to 10 the plane of rotation of the fan so as to be driven by fluid discharged from said outlet.

ADOLPH BAUER. 

